My Life With Fang
Part 1
5:30 AM…
Yawning, I slowly woke up; after a small chill running down my spine like someone left my window open. But as my eyes cracked open to look at the clock on my nightstand, I saw a tall dark haired boy standing in my door. He was mysterious and suddenly I figured out where that chill had come from. He was staring at me unnervingly, but some how he felt touchable as well as untouchable. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light seeping into my dark room, I saw that his hand held his left shoulder and was plastered in dried blood. Under his black leather jacket I noticed a slight bulge on his back, but I was still too worried about the blood that was caked on to his jacket. I nearly jumped out of bed and rushed over to this complete stranger, but at the last second I remembered I was only wearing a T-shirt and boxers. I slowly reached to the bottom of my bed, careful to keep the blanket pulled over my rear and grabbed my robe pulling it over my shoulders and wrapping it around my waist; I got up and made my way closer to this unfamiliar boy. He looked a little nervous as I walked toward him, but his eyes never left mine; and when I was finally close enough to touch him he glances down at my hand as I move it up to his shoulder. Other than that the boy didn't move, I motioned to him that I need him to take off his jacket he gave me this edgy look and I knew that he was hiding more under his jacket then just an injury. But after I looked him in the eye again so he knew I meant no harm he allowed me to slip off his soaked jacket; funny I had not realized that it was raining until just then, and look at his shoulder. The wound looked like a gun shot. Suddenly I was worried that my parents would come home and see this strange bleeding boy in their daughter's room, but I remembered that they were both attending so massive party and they wouldn't be home until at least morning. But just for a caution I took the boys hand and lead him farther into my room; at least if he dripped blood on the carpet in here I could say that I had cut myself. I lead the boy all the way to my bathroom; where I had a first aid kit and clean water.
"I'm Melody, what's your name?" he looked at me oddly, like I was speaking a different language. "Fang." He spoke that one word and chills instantly went down my spine.
"Well, Fang do I get to know how you got this," I gestured to his injury, "or do I have to guess." He smirked and I felt my face go a little pink. I pull out my peroxide from under the sink and unscrewed the cap, "Okay, I know this is going to sound like a weird question, but what the hay, could you take off your shirt?" he gave me a curious look, like he was secretly thinking I was crazy. But he indulged me and slipped of his black t-shirt, I held my breath as I took in the sight of his muscular body it was not overly so that made him seem like he used steroids and he was tanned and his dark eyes shown with golden flakes. I quickly pulled myself together and gently placed a towel under nether the spot so I could pore the peroxide easily without it running down Fang's body. He winced as it cleaned the wound; I couldn't help but scoff at this strong boy wincing at something so light. "Where did you come from?" if I was going to be helping this boy, the least he could do was let me get to know him. "Far from here." That's it that's all he could give me, ugh why are guys so cryptic?
But just as I was about to ask him to be more specific, I noticed something in my bathroom mirror, it was dark and blocked most of it. "Fang?" I said looking at him shocked. He gave me a look that said he knew what I saw. I blinked fast a couple times to make sure I was truly seeing this; fifteen feet of beautiful hawk like wings grafted into Fang's muscular back. "Say something." He looked worried like I would run away after seeing something so amazing. "They are beautiful. May I touch them or is that weird?" my eyes were transfixed on his wings.
He gave me this simple half smile that made the world stop spinning for a few seconds, "Sure." He said this easily like it was a normal request. I reached my hand out and my fingers had barely brushed his wings by the time electricity zinged through me, and my brain could barely process the action as my hand came into full contact with his wings. His eyes were trained on me while I moved my hand to the place where his wings joined to his skin, the feathers there were the softest, and I could hardly breathe while I was touching him. "Wow." I felt like a fool because that was all I could muster out of my brain. He laughed lightly, "Not the reaction I was expecting but it will work." I removed my hand and shook my head to clear my thoughts. So I could change the subject away from his wings pulled out a needle, "I am going to have to stitch up the hole so it will heal properly. Is that ok? It won't take long and it looks pretty clean, like the bullet went through." I moved into my room and grabbed the lighter I used to light my candles, so I could sterilize the needle and take a deep breath. When I came back into the bathroom I noticed that Fang staring at something then I remembered that I had a letter from my sister framed in my there. "She died two years ago from cancer, she was about a year older then I am and she wrote that right before she died." I looked at the letter, and it was funny how I was use to seeing it there that I barely read it anymore. "She loved you a lot from what I can tell from this letter." He looked at me I saw hurt in his eyes like he had lost someone he loved and never really got over it. "What was her name?" I asked almost so quiet I was asking myself more than him. "Oh! Gosh I am so sorry that is none of my business." I turned my attention back to threading the sterilized needle; I can't believe that I just asked that, what am I crazy? I could feel Fang's eyes on while I was focused so intensely on making this a perfect stitch so he didn't have weird scars on his wonderfully tan and muscular chest. "Maximum," He said this even more quietly than I had asked the question, "Maximum Ride." This time his voice was louder and I could feel the pain on his voice. "If you don't mind me asking," I was afraid I was digging to deep but I had to know, "what happened to her?"
He hesitated, and I instantly regretted asking. But as I saw him inhale deeply I knew that he didn't mind sharing what happened, but it was hard. "Well, I had known Max for as long as I can remember, we practically grew up together. Since the moment I was placed in the cage next to her, I knew we would be great friends. But as we grew older I felt myself growing more attached to her and I wanted to be near her, to feel her presence all-round me was all the kept me sane in our prison. And when we were old enough and strong enough, a man named Jeb came and took a group of us away from that horrible place. But we knew it was too good to be true. On Max's twelfth birthday Jeb disappeared, leaving Max, Nudge, Gazzy, Iggy, Angel, and Me to take care of ourselves and each other. Luckily Jeb had taught Max and I to fight, and being genetically enhanced helped." He paused giving me time to have all of this sink in; I nudged him so he would continue.
"Well, then things went from ok to bad in a year. Next thing we know our little world of comfort and safety is being threatened again. We ran and hid and stayed alive; sure we had some close calls but we looked after each other. Then one time when we were staying at this woman's house in Virginia; Max went out with this guy, and I felt my blood boil at the thought of her being anyone's but mine. So to make her jealous I flirted with this pretty, red headed girl, I even let her kiss me and when I felt Max look at me and this girl I kissed her back just to get to Max. And next thing I knew we were all on the run again neither of us really talking about what had happened while we were there. Then we found another place to hide for a few days, next thing I knew Max had flown off to some dock and I followed her. We sat their talking and I knew what I felt but I had no idea if she felt the same, so I brought up Virginia and me not liking her with that guy and her not liking me with that girl. All she did was nod while I talked about this, so it infuriated me and I couldn't take it so I ended up leaning toward her, and kissing her so much stronger then I had kissed that other girl. In fact no thoughts of that girl even entered my head while my lips were on Max's. When I finally stopped I looked her in the eyes searching for what I knew I would not find in her unreadable, beautiful eyes. Then she did something that I should have expected, she hopped up and ran down the dock and with one down stroke of her powerful wings she was gone rocketing to the sky. I felt my heart burn with the pain that she doesn't even love me a little. I could hardly even look at her the next few weeks. But we hardly had time to work it out because we were on the run again.
Blah, blah, blah. I won't go into detail about what happened because most of it isn't important. But let's just say there was a time when I followed her into the desert and kissed her again even harder than last time, and this time she didn't run away. So things started to work out for us we spent even more time together with just the two of us than we ever did. I kissed her when she let me and when she wouldn't I just wanted to be near her. But then something happened and I had to leave. I still loved Max more than anything in the world but it was dangerous for the flock when we were together, we both knew it, but Max always wanted to solve problems where she got everything she wanted. Then two people walked into both our lives and we tried to replace each other. But no matter how much I tried nothing was the same, I always thought about Max and worried about whether or not she was safe. Max and the flock ended up teaming up with the group I had created, and seeing Max with that other guy was like having her stick a knife in my chest and twist it. I regretted ever leaving her. I knew I needed her more than life, more than anything in the world. I never got the chance to tell her I was wrong for leaving and that I wanted to be back in her life if she would have me. Someone took her from me in the blink of an eye, my only love, was dead within the minuet.
She died before I could even reach her and comfort her as she passed. When I saw her fall dead at her killer's feet I felt a rush of emotions go through me, anger, heartbreak, pain, sorrow, disbelief, and rage. The moment I looked at the killer and saw his self-satisfied smile rage was the only emotion that coursed through me. One glance at the ground and I saw the knife that had skirted out of Max's hand, in one swift move I propelled myself at her killer knife in hand. I plunged that knife so far into his heart that he was being strangled. I looked into his dying eyes and told him to go to hell. But in my fit of rage I had not heard or felt the bullet that shot me. That's how I found your house, but I thought that it was empty because I had seen your parents leave." He took a deep breath and looked at me.
Dang I had never expected him to tell me. "That is incredible and I am so sorry. But what happened to the rest of you flock?" he had not covered that so I just had to know. "They died before me or Max, so I am alone now." Before I could process this through my brain it just popped out, "You're not alone." He looked at me with a look that said thanks but you have no idea what I need. "Thanks, I could use a place to stay for a couple days until I heal completely if that's alright?" he gave me another one of his earth stopping half smiles; I nodded unable to answer with words. Finally when I finished his last stitch I found my words, "You will have to hide until tomorrow afternoon, because that is when my parents go on vacation. So it will be fine and you can stay as long as you need." He seemed a little suspicious. "You are very brave, you aren't afraid to be alone in a house with a complete stranger?" I gave a small laugh, "Stranger? You I honestly can't think of you as stranger. I mean the only thing I don't know about you is how old you are, so you don't really count as a stranger." I was grinning like an idiot, but instantly stopped when Fang dropped off the bathroom counter. He covered the distance between us in two short steps, which pinned me against the wall. Placing both his hands on either side of me and leaning down to whispered into my ear, "You are very trusting considering that I could kill you at anytime." I was stunned at first, but I quickly found my voice, "Well, considering that you just said could not would, I don't believe that you would kill me." I sounded a lot stronger than I felt while I said this to him. He took a set back and instantly my body wanted him closer, "So where should I stay?" he asked as casually. I bit my tongue to keep from blurting out, with me stupid; instead I say "Come on, I'll show you." I guided Fang down the hallway hoping that he could hear my heart thudding in my chest. I pushed open the door to the spare room that joined my room by the bathroom; yes I know I am crazy that I would put this incredible guy in a room so close to mine. But there was just something about Fang that made me wish he would never go away, maybe it was the way he looked at me like he was seeing into my heart or his gentle smile as he sat there talking about this girl I wish I could be so he would look at me the way I am sure he must have looked at her. He slid by me into the room and as he did he said, "Thanks for doing this you are very brave." Since his voice was thick and hoarse it sent shivers down my spine. Before I could stop myself, I touched the spot I had stitched together realizing he had not put his shirt on yet. "Oh! I will go get your shirt." I moved to go back to the bathroom but then I felt Fang's warm hand grab my mine and pull me back around, "Don't worry about it, just get some sleep. I will grab it tomorrow." He let go of my hand and my skin instantly missed the contact. But now that he said something I realized how tired I truly was. So I slowly walked back to my room and collapsed on my bed, head spinning and heart pounding, wow what I rush, what a beginning for this morning.